Having men who don't know me open doors and smile and interact is an unexpected plus that I didn't go into this looking to gain but appreciate now I've got a taste of it. And since I'm "more mature" and "not looking" I feel safe and confident about looking good.

- Barb

Defeat is temporary: giving up makes it permanent! Never give up!

Max lifetime weight 224.5

Maintaining with 122 marked as "goal" since October 2010 Moved maintenance center to 120 on December 21, 2014

Thank you Nell! I also have to admit that my biggest motivator is vanity. I could make some noises about trying to avoid Type 2 diabetes, but it's really that I'm vain. I was a fat girl and now I'm not! Neener-neener-neener!

A touch of vanity is never a bad thing, in my opinion. Being happy and at a healthy weight helps us to make the most of what we've got no matter what our calendar age is or whose heads we're turning, lol!

My name's Tina. I lost more than 90 pounds between March 2010 and March 2012 and have been keeping if off ever since.

I LOVE turning geezer heads and any other heads too. I love love love the new clothes. I love the hot bod.

My problem was that ... even when I was zaftig I bought lots of clothes and at least imagined I was turning heads. After all, I was raised by a mother who was bald, overweight, in a diaper, in a wheel chair - but she tossed her head and said "You can always get a man. You just have to want to" and she plucked the handsomest man at the nursing home out of the crowd and had him pushing her around. So I couldn't really claim them as motivations.

I never want to feel the way I did when I weighed 248 pounds. I don't want my knees to hurt so bad I didn't want to do anything. I don't ever want to go shopping with my Mom again and have her still raring to go and me walking with a cane ready to go home. I don't want to go shopping and try on clothes and feel so hopeless because nothing looks good.

I like having energy, feeling good and being healthy. I like going to the Dr. for my annual physical and having him say my labs are perfect and to keep up the good work.

Feeling healthier and stronger. Being able to move more easily. Loving the new healthy food choices I'm making. Exercising regularly, even if I do have to modify what I do. Lowering the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure that run in my family. Feeling more comfortable in my clothes.

Being healthy so I can spend quality time with my grandchildren. And no meds at the ripe age of 66 (well, soon to be 67). And a year ago I could barely walk because of my hip. After replacement and PT then got a Fitbit, which is a total motivator.

How I feel when I can walk 6 miles because that's how far away something is. How I feel when I catch that glimpse in the mirror and I'm the slender one How I feel when my food is 100% nutritious How I feel when I see photographs of me - and dang - I look good.

Looking back, I don't ever want to feel as bad as I did when I weighed 260 pounds ever again. With so many things in our lives being out of our control, at least my weight and health from that point of view are things that I can control and I don't suffer from the maladies and poor self esteem that I had when I was so heavy.

Looking ahead, I want to get older continuing to have minimized my health risks as much as is reasonably possible so that I can enjoy whatever time I've got left as much as I can. I may not always have as much time or money as I'd like to do those things, but at least I can have my health.

My name's Tina. I lost more than 90 pounds between March 2010 and March 2012 and have been keeping if off ever since.

For me the biggest motivators fall in two categories: short-term and long-term. Short term: I love what I can eat, low-carb/high-fat paleo, unlimited, lots of veggies, nuts, dairy, eggs, meat, fish etc. I love all the exercise I do. If I didn't like it I would do different types of exercise. Right now I enjoy running, swimming, horseback riding, ballet/dance. Long term: I know the long-term health benefits: low body fat, normal blood sugar levels, low risk of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cancer, Alzheimer's, lots of energy, low chance of painful arthritis, potential to do many things in the future that I don't have time or money for yet. Birgit

Edited by: HOUNDLOVER1 at: 10/7/2013 (17:58)

You can talk to God all you want and that's great, but the changes happen when you start listening to him.

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